Life preserver



H. J. BLAKESLEE LIFE PRESERVER April 6 192e,. 1,579,302

Filed Augu 10 1925 Patented Apr. .6, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. BLAKESLEE, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

LIFE rnnsnnvnn. I

Application filed August 10, 1925. Serial No. 49,163.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HENRY J. BLAKESLEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at est Hartford, in the county ofoHa-rtford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new: and useful Improvement in Life Pretain the necessary buoyancy.

The object of the invention is to provide an articleof this character which is simple tain the necessary buoyancy when about the neck of a user and hold the head above water whether the user is consc ous or unconscious, and which 15 constructed without any .metal parts, such as fasteners, valves or seals which would be liable to rust or corrode and stick, rendering the device inoperative orineffective.

In attaining this object the supporting body is formed as a tubular ring of flexible air-tight material having an interior diameter that will fit rather closely about the neck of the user.

. tube or nipple opening into the interior is attached to the ring and a strip of elastic material is secured to the ring under and about which the nipple is folded and tucked when the ring is inflated for the purpose of sealing the nipple and holding it so as to prevent the escape of air from the ring.

Fig. l of the accompanying drawings shows a plan of' the article. Fig. 2 shows an edge view illustrating the manner in which the nipple is tucked under and folded about the scaling strip.

The ring 1 is desirably made of thin elastic rubber, but may be made of other flexible air-tight and water-proof material. The nipple 2 is preferably made of a length of flexible rubber tubing and it is attached to the edge of the ring over an opening in-' to it, by a rubber patch 3. An elastic strip 4 has its ends secured to the ring adjacent to the patch. The ends only of this strip A flexible inflating are fastened to the ring, leaving a portion between the ends not adhered to the ring but tightly drawn about the surface thereof. This stri has a short slit 5 through the portion tiat is not adhered to the ring.

The ring is inflated by blowing it up with air through the nipple. This may be accomplished before the ring is placed over-the head or after it has been located about the neck of the user. After the ring is sufliciently inflated to give the required buoyancy, the nipple is tucked under and folded about theslitt-ed and loose section of the A fastening strip, substantially as illustrated. ,Thetension of the elastic strip compresses the flexible nipple in such manner that the device is sealed so air cannot escape and permit the deflation of the ring. If the ring is inflated after it has been placed over the head of the user and it is made of elas: tic material, it expands in such manner that it cannot he accidentally dislodged from the neck over the head, and thus it will support the head with the nose and mouth above water whether the user is conscious or unconscious. There. are no metal parts in this device which can rust or corrode and thus become inoperative or ineffective. It is easily inflated, and when deflated it may be tucked under and folded about and be sealed thereby.

2. A life preserver comprising a tubular elastic rubber ring adapted to be placed about the neck of the user, a rubber nipple opening into the ring, and an elastic rubber sealing strip attached to the ring adjacent to the nipple, said strip having its ends but not its central portion adhered to the ring but with the central portion ofthe strip slitted and drawn tightly over the surface of the ring whereby the nipple maybe tucked under and folded about the slitted central portion of said strip for compressing and closing the nipple. i 

